Spring-lubricating device.



wQPJ-THAcHER. I SPRING LUBRICATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23. 1914.

- Patented Aug.

TENT OFFIGE.1

WALTER P. TEACHER, 0E EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR To RANDALL GRAPHITE I SHEET LUBRIoAToR'ooMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION'OF CALI- FORNIA.

To all whomz'tmdy concern Be it known that I, WALTER P. THACHER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Evanston, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Lubrieating Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to lubricating devices and has particular reference to the construction of a lubricating element for elliptic or semi-elliptic springs.

It is Well known that springs in order to secure the most advantageous results should be provided with an efficient lubricating element between the leaves thereof. The use of a fluid lubricant is unsatisfactory, first, because of the difficulty in placing the lubricant between the leaves and second, because of the tendency of the same to work out.

It has also been suggested to provide for the use of a heavier lubricant such as grease,

the grease being held in a series of apertures provided in a carrier of some sort. This likewise is unsatisfactory for the reason that the grease is squeezed out around the edges of the leaves and collects dust.

I have conceived the idea of employing a lubricating element in the form of an insert which shall consist in a wire fabric composed of fine wire loosely woven in the form of .a mesh and provided with a relatively large number of wafers of a desiccated lubricant preferably in the form of graphite, these Wafers being interspersedin regular order throughout the area of the fabric. In practice strips of this fabric having the graphite wafers pressed thereinto are located between the leaves of the springs. The weight superposed thereon tends to disseminate the graphite throughout the body of the fabric thus providing after continued service practically a layer of graphitic material in dry form none of which has a tendency to be excluded from the sides of the spring. If any is excluded it is merely blown away and does not adhere to the sides of the spring.

A somewhat similar structure is disclosed and claimed in the earlier patent to Randall, No. 816,253. The present construction differs from that, however, in the employment of a very fine wire for the fabric. It

will be understood that the leaves of the Specification of Letters Patent.

SPRING-LUBRICATING DEVICE.

able the wire should be of as small a gage as possible. Furthermore, the' material is subject to much fiexure due to-the' action of the springs and a fine wire constructed preferably of bronze or copper is not jaffected Patented Aug. 31, 1915. Annlicat in filed July 23,1914. Serial No. 852,564.

by the vibrations in such manner "asto become broken. Furthermore, by-the use of a relatively soft wire the intersections of the wire in the fabric soon become flattened and the ultimate thickness of the fabric is practically that of one wire.

By the employment of a loose weave the graphite is readily disseminated throughout the area of the fabric and ultimately provides a complete surface of graphite which is embodied in the fabric. To manufacture the material originally in the form whichit finally assumes would be diifioult and unsatisfactory, it having been found most satisfactory to locate the graphite at intervals in the area and rely on the looseness of the weave for the dissemination of the material throughout the fabric.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein,

Figure 1 is anelevation of-a spring be tween the leaves of which mylubricating element is disposed; Fig. 2 is a perspective view much enlarged with a part of one of the leaves of the spring broken away to show the material just afterit has been applied, and, Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the lubricating element enlarged four times the naturalsize.

Referring more particularly to the drawings it will be seen that a semi-elliptical spring 10, may be composed of superposed leaves 1.1, between which the lubricating element is disposed. This element consists of a wire fabric 12, loosely woven and preferably composed of Wires of about 31 gage. The fabric is preferably also about 12 mesh. Disposed at intervals in the fabric are'wafers 13 of a'dry lubricant such as graphite, the graphite being held in form by a suitable dry binder. After the springs have been in service for a short time the graphite becomes disseminated throughout the body of the fabric and forms practically a continuous bearing surface of graphite. At

such time the wires at the intersections have,

become flattened until they occupy. only substantially the thickness of one Wire.

Obviously the exact size of the Wire and the mesh of the fabric maybe varied to a certain extent. Also the thickness of the v wafers of graphite may be varied. Such modifications as are within the scope of my claims I consider within the spirit of my invention.

The use of a fabric composed of copper orcopper-bronze Wire further adds to the lubricating capacity of the element. and would beeffective-to a certain extent even if the graphite became entirely worn out.

[1 1.,In a spring, the combination of super-' posed leaves and a desiccated lubricant perinanently held therebetweeii, a carrier for said lubricant said carrier consisting of a sereencomposedjof fine loosely woven wire, substantially as described.

;2. YA lubricating element for springs consisting of a loosely Woven fine wire fabric, and a desiccated lubricant pressed into said screen at intervals and presenting lubricating surfaces on both sides of said screen, substantially as described. A

3. A lubricating element for springs consisting of a loosely Woven fine wire fabric and wafers of a desiccated lubricant located at intervals in the body of said fabric said 

